PCA’s vision is transforming the Park Centre into a vibrant landmark of learning, performance and service that will unify and re-invigorate the community it serves
History
Park Community Action originated as a local charity to support the work of the community forum and to operate a community development project in Park Hill, a deprived inner-city area of Sheffield. The forum set out to be the platform for local people to have a collective voice bringing together the community to have an impact on local activities and enabling residents to improve their quality of life.
Over the years its job is now primarily to manage Park Centre and Library for the benefit of the local area. The Park Centre provides a focus to knit together a much displaced community, and is the only community resource centre in the area. In its former role as a swimming pool and public library it performed that role for many years but with the closure of the swimming pool much of that focus was dissipated. The building is still owned by Sheffield City Council, but the Centre is run by PCA on a licence from the council. It also acquired responsibility for operating the library element of the building when it was one of a number of local libraries threatened with closure. This it does through a group of volunteers.
Up until the Covid pandemic, the Centre supported a wide range of community events, both private and public, such as a food pantry, youth club, Black seniors group, adult education activity including IT training and a range of physical activity for a range of abilities. Attempts are now being made to once again serve the community in similar ways after a period of enforced closure.
Trustees
The management of PCA is the responsibility of the trustees, some of whom meet monthly as the Executive to oversee activities and management of the Centre.
Ros Hill – Chair
Keith Crawshaw – Treasurer
Christine Robinson – Secretary
Frank Abel
Jack Carrington
Debjani Chatterjee
Richard Foster
Jean Jones
Brian Manning
Sioned-Mair Richards
Dave Watkins
Staff
Tracy Brown- Community Development Worker
Jackie Bailey – Administrator